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BMW i3 and BMW i8 (2014 - Current) The BMW i3 and BMW i8 are the first two cars launch under BMW's new sub brand BMW i. The i3 is an all carbon fiber, all electric vehicle meant for urban mobility. The BMW i8 is a carbon fiber and aluminum hybrid halo car.

I don't understand how BMW plans on differentiating the 1 Series Active Tourer from the i3. They seems to fit a similar niche space in terms of size and I don't think US consumers will buy one over the other simply based on drive configuration.

The W246 B Klasse is a larger car than the i3. The electric drive B is a conversion of an existing platform with much of the engineering work contracted out to Tesla. The i3 was designed from the ground up as a battery-EV.

I find it hard to believe that Mercedes will go to the considerable expense of Federalising/DOT approval just for the battery-electric version.

$5/gallon fuel in California should make a B200CDI appealing to some buyers. It has a Mercedes badge, seats 4 1/2 people and uses far less fuel than most cars sold in the US. 7 Speed automatic. 0-60 in 9.3 seconds

(I've driven the previous version W245 B200CDI. It was awful. I was surprised at how bad the handling and ride was. Best thing was the sound system. )

But you are right, the Active Tourer is a direct response the the W246.

The models and equipment (standard and optional) illustrated in this post reflect my misunderstanding of vehicles supplied by BMW AG to the German market. In other EU member states, the truthyness of my posts may vary. Please ignore this post. Subject to change.